Oranges and Lemons
by Mtwapa
Summary: A small piece featuring the Orange Crush ship, some Calleigh and Peter. Set during Urban hellraisers, S4. Was originally written for CSI:Romance.


**Author's Note:** This fic is written particularly for Speedfanatic05 as part of CSI:Romance which took place during the summer. I don't normally write this pairing but I hope you enjoy this.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own any CSI:M characters, they belong solely to CSI:M creators - I reckon you guys know who they are by now!

** ORANGES AND LEMONS**

Horatio Caine was standing at the counter paying for the items he had bought when the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention and a thin film of sweat broke out over him. He felt acutely self-conscious with the knowledge that he was being watched. He glanced around him but there was no-one else in the store at this early hour of the morning. The door to the store chimed as a harried-looking customer came in and headed straight towards the 'Beverages' section.

She had been watching him since he had come in; well to be honest she had been watching him for the better part of six months now. Just observing and reporting back on how he and his team were working. Everything was A-ok at the moment, but that still didn't make her feel anymore comfortable with the double job she was pulling, especially given the friendliness with which she had been welcomed. When he had come in she had impulsively hid herself behind the magazine rack, her breathing automatically stilled, her hands, holding a magazine, now felt clammy. She couldn't help but acknowledge the warm feelings welling up in as her gaze lingered on him. There was just something about him…..

"Ahem…are you going to pay for it?" came the haughty voice to her left. She glanced at the woman who had just come in. It seemed she had picked the last copy of that particular magazine and the other woman clearly wanted it. She couldn't have felt more like an idiot, this not lessened by the fact that Horatio's gaze had come to rest on her. She nodded briefly at the other woman before stalking off to pay.

"Ms. Boa Vista." came his deep, sombre voice. She looked at him and saw his lips curve up to a small smile; she felt a shiver shoot deliciously up her spine making her tingle all over.

"Morning, Horatio." she greeted back with a nod and a smile, "Didn't know you shopped here."

"Oh I don't…I mean I just dashed in to get the Herald and um…" Horatio noticed her gaze falling on the plastic-wrapped card, "…and a calling card. I'm running late today."

Natalia watched the card, imprinted with the Brazilian flag disappear quickly into the pocket of his beige trousers. "I'm almost done here." he said, as began thumbing through his wallet.

"Sure." She replied as she stepped back to a polite distance. She involuntarily found her eyes running over him, well as discreetly as possible given their proximity, and take in that which she hadn't been able to see at a distance: his blue eyes looked fatigued, his hair rumpled, as if hands had run through it far too often. His beige suit looked even more crumpled up-close. She felt her cheeks redden as she pieced together his appearance – he looked like he had just woken up from the bed of a lover, seen the time and then rushed out realising he would be late. She hadn't assumed he was seeing anyone since the Rachel Turner case had seemed to hit him so hard, but then again the man seemed to be irresistible; she wondered if it was his sex appeal or his pheromones, it was probably both. His pheromones…hmm that would be interesting to put under a microscope. Natalia would you get a grip and focus! Her mind called irritably.

"Ms. Boa Vista?" called Horatio, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Horatio waited close to the door while she paid for her purchases. Free from the confines of their working environment Horatio, despite his exhaustion, noticed that which he had failed to notice before; Natalia Boa Vista was a beautiful woman who had an aura of mystery around her that very much appealed to him. All too fast his mind was considering the possibility of what it would be like to kiss her. She joined him and he opened the door for her, "Thanks." she gave him a big grin.

Horatio felt his heart skip a beat before shaking his head to say it was nothing, "Can I offer you a ride home?"

"Thanks but I'm all right. I live just around the corner." she jerked her thumb towards the small apartment block that was peeking through at the end of street.

"Can I walk you then?"

"Erm….Er….it's really not that far," not wanting to sound rude, she hastened to further add, "besides you said you were in a rush."

Horatio glanced ruefully at his watch, "Well I'm thinking of making a fashionably late entrance." he said with an air of nonchalance, a smile forming at the edge of his mouth.

Natalia laughed at his statement, it wasn't everyday that one got subjected to the humour of the 'oh-so serious' Horatio Caine. "Well I'm sure I can help you with being fashionably-late." She waited a moment before saying, "Thanks."

"Shall we?" he asked,

Natalia nodded and walked beside him. In order to prevent an uncomfortable silence from ensuing she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Long night?"

Horatio looked at her curiously for a moment. Oops! Now why did I say that? she thought. His private life really doesn't concern my job….unless it interferes with the lab.

"Day off, yesterday?" he asked, comprehension dawning on his face.

"Well, yes." Natalia wondered why he asked questions that he already knew the answer to.

"I see. There's a case. Started yesterday, regarding students at Florida U. Eric got shot at."

"Oh my gosh! Is he okay? I really had no idea."

Horatio gave a wry smile, "I figured. Eric wasn't hurt but we did have a civilian fatality."

Natalia gave a wry smile of her own, "You guys have been working on it all night huh?"

Horatio nodded, his hands drawing out his sun-glasses. Natalia wondered why they hadn't made an earlier appearance. "The fascinating thing is that this is all based on a video-game."

"A video-game?!" she asked indignantly, "Kids these days. That's just crazy."

"I give you…this century's rebels and criminals." said Horatio, his voice dripping with sarcasm, his hands fiddling with the glasses, "We've been working on it and there were a couple of people at the lab who were familiar with the game but I think they burned out and most of them fell asleep over their controllers. Some progress but not much. Mister Cooper and Mister Tyler are still away at the seminar in New York, and are being sorely missed. Hard to believe cracking a case all depends on a video-game."

They had arrived; their conversation had barely gone on for more than five minutes.

"Thanks for walking me Horatio."

"My pleasure Ma'am…I'll see you later then?"

Natalia thought she detected an undertone of earnestness but quickly dismissed it from her mind. She flashed him another bright smile, "You bet. See you later and Horatio, please call me Natalia."

She saw the confusion etch itself into his brow, and then disappearing as quickly as it had come, "Sure….Natalia." he finished, "Bye."

Natalia gave him another smile before disappearing up the flight of stairs. She watched him walk away and perch his sunglasses in their usual position. She looked at the gardening magazine she was holding and sighed. A tiny part of her missed his presence near her, her mind immediately started scolding. She let out a tiny, embarrassed, giggle remembering how she thought that he had come from the arms of his lover. It seemed that the only lover he had right now was his work, and what a demanding lover she could be! Very reluctantly letting him slip away this morning probably for a shower and a change of clothes before calling him back to her passionate embrace that he seemed to thrive in. Natalia let out another chuckle at her thoughts and headed off to get ready for work.

Indeed Natalia had guessed right, he was headed home to grab a shower and drop off Madison's school book, which she had forgotten at his place, and then head back to the lab. While he drove, his mind tired of thinking of the case turned to Natalia instead. When she had first come to the lab, Horatio didn't have a problem with her, especially since she was providing some much needed funding to the lab. It hadn't really bothered him: if his superiors wanted to re-open a 'Cold-cases' file then it was fine with him. It wouldn't be a complete waste of the tax-payer's money as many of the cases were to do with repeating offenders, which provided collaboration and closure to many victims' families. He hadn't given much thought to her appointment beyond that; he had been busy making sure Ray, Yelina and Ray Jr. settled down in Rio and then after that there had been assessing the, effect of Hagen's death on Calleigh, Ryan's eye and Eric's irregularities and sudden secretiveness. But seeing her today, felt like a punch straight to his gut – it took his breath away. His intuition told him she had a troubled past, perhaps a victim of violence because of the veiled look in her eyes. He really should read her file again. He found himself recalling past moments between them and analysing them. The more he thought about her, the more he felt himself falling for her as he puzzled her out in his mind.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natalia was just sealing up the evidence when they burst in. She rushed to the door to bar them in but they were too quick for her. The guy with the scarf around his face grabbed her arm and pulled her back in.

"Where's the evidence?!" they hollered at her.

She froze, too terrified to move, staring at the automatic in their hands.

"The evidence!!" they shouted again. Take it easy Alli, take it easy, just do what they say her mind said through her ragged breathing. She fumbled around with the sealed packets on the table taking her eyes of them momentarily. She thrust the bag containing the gun into their waiting hands.

All of a sudden the muzzle was shoved at her, "Twenty thousand points, Bitch!"

Everything slowed down:

She saw the flecks of spit fly from his mouth.

The finger twitching on the trigger,

The gun shaking in an unsteady grip,

The frenzied brown eyes visible through the ski mask.

She felt hot and cold at once, a drop of sweat slid down her back, she could feel its precise motion as it moved from her shoulder blade down the length of her spine.

Her sweat pores suddenly seemed to open up – she felt them prickle to life.

Her eyes dilated into large chocolate swirls.

Her heart seemed stuck in her throat,

Unable to swallow,

Her salivary glands seemed to have long dried up.

Her lower lip trembled with fear.

Oh my god, I'm going to die because of a video game! It was the only thought in her mind, there was no thinking of family, friends, regrets, joys, just death because of a game. No thoughts of profound wisdom…just death

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Horatio ran down the stairs hoping he wasn't too late. He quietly opened the door, his gun unsheathed. He crouched down and crept along the length of the wall of the evidence compartment Natalia was in. He heard each word being spat at her. His anger welled up. He shook his head to bring his focus back to the situation and not concentrate on the victim. Don't make her a victim yet Caine! His brain yelled before hearing the ultimatum given by the youth. The adrenaline kicked in immediately as he stood up from his concealed position, took aim, and in a heart-beat it was over.

The masked gun-man fell; his partner turned around and fired wildly. His inexperience showed. Horatio took aim again as the glass around him exploded; showering him with shards, yet nothing deterred him from taking aim again and bringing the second gun-man down. After kicking the weapon away and cocking his gun at the youth, he said, "Your move." Horatio saw the fear in his eyes and immediately stood down, allowing the uniforms to step in. He stepped back and looked around him to survey the damage. There were Uniforms already around Natalia and someone from rescue had arrived and was checking her out. He sought her eyes out. They connected briefly for an instant. Horatio heard another shout, he turned on his heel immediately, reflex kicking in; gun drawn, looking for the intruder but instead he saw Calleigh on the floor next to Peter Elliot's limp body. He desperately wanted to make sure Natalia was all right but Calleigh's situation called for more attention at the moment. His mind strained to control his impulses; he couldn't give into his emotions while he was on the job.

He was by Calleigh's side in a moment, she was softly whispering Elliot's name. She assumed the worst had happened but in her panic hadn't checked for any vital signs. Horatio saw a pulse throbbing in the hollow of Peter Elliot's throat. Horatio pulled Calleigh away from the prostate body, "Calleigh, listen to me…" he saw the tears beginning to pour from her eyes, "He's just unconscious Calleigh, he's going to be fine." He shook her gently to let the message sink in. She nodded silently. She couldn't believe how close she had come to losing another person she cared so much about. Horatio signalled to the Rescue team that had just arrived, to come over. They hurried over and began working on Peter immediately.

"Why don't you go with them, Calleigh?" suggested Horatio.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…I am. I can do the ballistics. Don't worry."

Calleigh offered him a weak smile, "Thank-you."

"No worries." He offered her a hand-up.

He watched them leave and turned around again to check on Natalia when Eric came running to him, chart results in hand, an excited look on his face. He stopped in his tracks, "H.! man you're bleeding!"

Horatio didn't quite believe his CSI, he was sure Calleigh would have said something if he was hurt. Hell! he would have felt something if he was hurt. He looked down at himself – nothing. He raised an eyebrow at Eric. Eric yanked Horatio over to the first aid kit. It was then that Horatio felt the trickle of blood down his cheek.

"Can't feel anything Eric." He said wincing slightly, as Eric's slightly clumsy fingers pressed a bit too hard on his forehead.

"It's just a scratch H." he joked back quite at ease with Horatio after weeks of sullen silences and terse conversations, "You've got glass in your head. No 'buts' Boss, I'm going to get Alexx – " he looked around, "- Alexx!"

Alexx Woods hurried over and clucked over Horatio's forehead remarking that he really needed to get a haircut soon. Eric couldn't help but smirk at the mothering his Lieutenant was getting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Horatio was tired, they had solved the case, but there was still a lot on his mind – Natalia Boa Vista being the winner, here. Well this case would definitely be worth telling his game-crazed nephew about. He locked up his office and headed out to the car park. He wondered if it would be ok for him to go and visit her, just to check that she was all-right. He really hadn't had the chance to do that. It was a desperate internal battle over his motives for wanting to see her that continued to rage as he wandered the aisles of the small store. Only now he was presented with a new dilemma: what colour flowers should her get her?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hi." He said when she opened the door.

Natalia felt blown away, had she concussed her head or something? Or was this really Horatio Caine standing on her door-step.

"Hi." she managed to stutter back.

"I'm sorry to bother you at home but I just wanted to make sure you were ok, I heard about the hand and well I wanted to give you these and say 'get well soon'." He handed her the brightly coloured tulips.

"Wow, they're beautiful. Thank-you…" she said taking them from his hands. "Do you wanna come in? Maybe have a drink or something?"

Horatio hesitated, the internal battle started again, "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all." She impulsively grasped his hand and pulled him into the tiny hallway. Horatio taken aback by her action stumbled into the threshold. The fact that their bodies were so intimately pressed together sent sparks everywhere from/at the points of contact. They were both made breathless by the suddenness of the action. In that speck of time Natalia felt the warmth of his hand, the way it closed comfortably over hers, the lines that ran along his palm, the roughness of his palms and the softness of his finger-tips. She felt his breath on her cheek. The moment passed as quickly as it had come, she felt his hand go slack in hers, "Ahem…I'm sorry." he whispered against her. The awkwardness came and went as Natalia took control of the situation. "Sorry about that, sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Horatio laughed in a bid to clear the earlier moment, and perhaps to dispel the blush that had risen to his features, "Well considering that you run twice a day I'm not surprised," he said, referring to her attire, which was similar to what she had been wearing when they had encountered each other earlier at the store.

"Well it's either that or giving up my mom's apple pie," she patted her tummy good-naturedly, smiling.

"I can imagine apple-pie wins by a long shot." He smiled back. Not a half smile but a full smile, where she actually saw his teeth and his mouth stretch broadly, a dimple appear on the right side of his face, and a slight crinkling of his forehead. It was the first time she had seen him smile like that and she loved it. It was just too sexy for words, why didn't this man smile more often?

"So what can I get you to drink?" she asked after arranging the flowers in a vase.

"I'll have whatever you're having."

"I'm actually having some Chianti. My second bottle…Anaesthetic." she said quickly, her mind whirring; that's just great Alli, make yourself out to be an alcoholic!

"Chianti sounds good, Natalia."

She opened a cupboard to take out a wine glass. Horatio leaned back against the counter and looked around the kitchen, "Nice drawings." he remarked casually pointing at the refrigerator which was plastered with drawings and sketches.

Natalia looked up, "Oh yeah, courtesy of my nieces and nephews. Everyone used to call me Nat but then when the little ones came along they didn't seem to be able to say my name and they ended up calling me 'Alli' and somehow that's kind of stuck and now my whole family calls me 'Alli', I've kinda grown used to it myself."

"I see." He took the glass from her, "Thanks."

"Can I offer you some apple-pie."

"No thanks, think I'll let you conserve your supply," he quipped.

"Don't be silly Horatio! I'm having some, please have a small piece or my Mom will feel insulted." she pleaded.

"Uh...you really know how to twist someone's arm huh?"

"I've learned from the best." She replied smugly as she dished warm apple-pie onto two plates, "Vanilla ice-cream?"

"No thank-you."

Natalia handed him his plate, "C'mon let's sit outside. It's a bit stuffy."

Horatio followed her out to the small terrace that had a couple of potted plants. "Nice glasses," he said raising the green tinted goblet up to catch the dying rays of the day, causing emerald green sparkles to float around Natalia, "Cheers."

"Cheers." She toasted back before taking a sip, and starting on her apple-pie.

"It's really delicious, my compliments to your Mom!" said Horatio after his first mouthful.

"She'll be glad you liked it. My Mom used to enter culinary contests, and she'd get so disappointed if the dish she entered wasn't liked. We were always the guinea-pigs in the kitchen."

Horatio smiled at her re-collections and felt the sharp pang of his own misshapen childhood.

They continued to eat, silence settled over the pair. At one point they both caught each other looking at the other and each gave an embarrassing chuckle. A light breeze started to blow. Natalia looked up and savoured the coolness against her face. She looked over at Horatio who seemed to be enthralled with his last piece of pie. She smiled at the way the breeze played with his hair, like a child's hands running over him. It was then that she saw the small Band-aid, covering the corner of his forehead, which had previously been hidden by the fall of his hair. She frowned.

"Something wrong?" he asked, shifting when he felt himself being scrutinised.

She wanted to hug him, no kiss him, right now and thank him for saving her life. She felt like she had been very rude. How could she have forgotten to thank someone? He was the reason that she was sitting on her terrace enjoying apple-pie right now. Instead she said, "Nothing."

He fiddled with his fork for a couple of moments longer, contemplating the silence when she said, "Thank-you Horatio."

"You're welcome for the flowers."

She was beside him in a trice, "Well for saving my life, and for the flowers too." He blinked, slightly overcome by their sudden proximity to each other again. "I'm sorry for being rude earlier; I never thanked you."

"I just wanted you to be okay Natalia," he replied, his voice tender. She could feel the words like a caress against her cheek. Horatio desperately wanted to reach out and touch her; the darkness of the hot, velvety night giving everything a surreal presence.

"You're hurt." Her hands touched his forehead, brushing against his copper strands before reaching the plaster, her fingertips gently touched him. He winced, not so much from pain than the feeling of shyness that had overcome him.

"It's nothing." He murmured huskily, his throat feeling parched. "Are you okay Natalia?" his eyes sought out hers in the dark.

She immediately broke eye contact with him and nodded hesitantly. She stood up and cleared his plate. Horatio remained seated, confused, he felt as if he'd just crossed some invisible line of whose existence he had been unaware of. He picked up their glasses and followed her inside.

"Natalia…what's wrong?"

Her back was turned to him, her form an enticing silhouette. She turned to him, expression cheery but eyes guarded, "I'm fine."

He reached her in a stride, "You don't seem to be." he whispered, his hand sought out hers, he gently stroked it. Her gaze immediately dropped again, his other hand tilted her head up.

"What happened?"

Natalia was mesmerised by his eyes which in this light looked like the deep-blue found only in the darkest cavern pools. She found her hand caressing his hand back. She couldn't lie to him. She sighed softly, "It's just….well my ears are ringing a bit after the shooting this morning." He nodded sympathetically, "And I don't want to be alone tonight. Do…do you think you could stay here for a little longer? Please?"

Horatio would not have been able to say 'no' even if he had wanted to, he was totally captured by her, "As long as you want me to."

It was then that she broke-down, her knees gave way and she began sobbing. Horatio caught her in time and held against him. Her arms curled around his neck. He didn't say anything. His hands began to make soothing motions along her face and back. Feeling her body relax more within his hold, he reached down, scooped her up and carried her to the couch.

"I thought I was going to die Horatio…" she said through her tears, in a bid to justify her sudden collapse.

"It's all-right Natalia, I'm here for you. Shh…It's over now." he said softly, rocking her back and forth.

"I…I was so…so…frightened. The look in his eyes. He…he was going to p..pull th…the trigger…I could feel it."

Horatio pulled her tighter against him. "It's all over now Sweetheart, it's all over. I'm here for you, take your time, let it all out." He fished out his handkerchief and handed it to her. He rocked her back and forth until her crying softened to the occasional sob.

"I'm sorry Horatio. I didn't mean to dump this on you." She said apologetically surveying him through her tearstained eyes of chocolate.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." he replied throatily, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Do you mean that?" she asked with child-like innocence that tore at his heart.

"I do Sweetheart, I do. Natalia…after this morning, I've realised just how much I care for you an…." The rest of his words were cut off by her mouth closing on his for the briefest kiss. Horatio responded to her kiss with a kiss of his own. It wasn't a long kiss either, but it led to a domino effect of small kisses where there was,

Catching…….

Tasting……..

Exploring……

Each kiss built on the momentum of the previous one…

Natalia found herself moving closer against him, she pushed aside his jacket. They were both breathing hard now. Her hands un-tucked his shirt, her fingers ghosted up and down his sides. She could feel his breath catch each time through their kiss. Her hands stopped at the scar on his side. She drew back,

"Knife wound….Resden…" it was more of a statement than a question. He nodded, his eyes immediately breaking contact with hers. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean."

"Don't be sorry Natalia." He said softly, taking her hands in his. He shifted his position and lay both of them down on the couch.

Their faces were less than inches apart, "I'll be here when you wake-up, I promise." He lifted his lips and pressed them to her forehead. She drew his head back down again and fell asleep gazing into his eyes, pressed into his body that embraced her closely and promised new experiences for her. Horatio didn't allow himself to fall asleep, at least not while he had conscious control over his eyelids. He watched over her while she slept, he couldn't help it, she was just so beautiful. There was so much more to her than met the eye, he felt it. The sadness intermingled with the beauty; it was the only way true beauty could be shown; he saw it in her features, in the small sighs she issued while she slept, the way her body curled against his. He couldn't help but be drawn to her. He lifted her hand to his lips and saw her smile in her sleep, his heart swelled with happiness as his eyes fluttered, lulled by her regular breathing, warm against his cheek…leaving the single thought in his mind that perhaps… just perhaps, this time he might have found some lasting joy to keep in his life.


End file.
